Procrastination

Procrastination is the clearest manifestation of self-sabotage; it is the attitude that leads us to postpone as long as possible those things we do not want to face, as if they were going to disappear by magic.

When we postpone a task without a reason that justifies this decision, we are letting ourselves be defeated by procrastination. It is at that moment when we must listen to reason and not to emotions.

Are we really so tired that we can't do it today? This is a simple question, and if we answer it honestly, we will realize how many times we have experienced this phenomenon in our daily tasks.

Below, we will address some basics that will help you cope and prevent procrastination from getting to you.

Start with the hard stuff

Starting with the most difficult tasks will allow you to reserve your energy for the more mechanical and less demanding tasks. It is common for us to seek to tackle the easier problems, leaving those we don't want to face for the times when they can no longer be postponed. This puts us in a vicious cycle, where we are now under pressure of having less time and probably less energy.

When you have to choose between two tasks, think about which of the two is more difficult for you to do and start with that one. As you move on to the easier activity, you will notice some relief from the change in difficulty.

Break up large tasks

Breaking up large tasks is one of the most effective techniques to avoid falling into procrastination, especially when you feel overwhelmed by something that is beyond you. If you have a 30-page essay due, focus only on writing 10 pages, as if it were a stand-alone task. Although you won't have finished the paper, you will have made a third of the way through it without the mental pressure of having to write all 30 pages in one sitting.

The same applies to reading a 300-page book. If you have enough time, plan to read only 30 pages a day for ten days. If 30 pages seems too much, divide the reading into 15 pages in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. The advantage of this technique is that it has no limits; you can break tasks into micro-tasks until you no longer find it exhausting to tackle them.

Move something forward to the next day

This tip is more of a psychological trick than a productivity technique, as it's not about getting ahead of the next day's work, but rather giving yourself a gift to start the next day's tasks with a little more energy.

The idea is that, if you have pending exercises to do tomorrow, you can bring forward some complementary items, such as sheets or utensils that you will need. If there is something that you know may take time away from you before you start studying, try to resolve it the night before, such as household chores or personal matters that you have pending.

This should be done in a balanced way; it should not affect your rest time and does not imply that you have to do it every day. In fact, it may be more effective to reserve it for times when you know a rigorous task is coming up and you will have a hard time starting it.